


The Slow Learners

by WinterRose527



Series: I was just wondering what you're doing (for the rest of your life) [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And feels, F/M, Fluff, Mentions of past abuse, and eventually smut hopefully
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-01-24 15:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18574066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterRose527/pseuds/WinterRose527
Summary: A continuation of my fic 'Love is Blind (and sometimes, deaf and dumb too)'





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WeMarchAtDawn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeMarchAtDawn/gifts).



“What about this one?,” she asked, holding an aubergine dress up in front of her.

 

Ella stepped up behind her and scrunched her nose, “ _I_ think you look beautiful in it, but that’s the one you say always makes you look pale…”

 

Sansa sighed and nodded, because the dress in question did make her look pale and put it back in her closet. Ella rubbed her back briefly and disappeared into her closet and pulled out a sparkly silver tank top and a pair of jeans.

 

“Wear this with your hair up and he’ll be so tongue tied he won’t be able to get a word out,” she suggested.

 

Sansa grimaced, “Isn’t that a little _much_ for a first date? That shirt makes my boobs look like a nation unto themselves…”

 

Ella chuckled and shrugged, “Don’t you want Jon to be applying for citizenship?”

 

Sansa fixed her with a look and Ella rolled her eyes and put the shirt back. She pulled out a black turtleneck and held it up and Sansa shook her head. She didn’t want to be _all_ out but a _bit_ out wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Ella held up a dove grey long sleeved wrap shirt that would show off her décolletage without much else and Sansa grinned and nodded.

 

She pulled off her shirt and caught sight of a scar right under her ribcage and hurriedly pulled on the wrap shirt. Her heart started racing and she took big gulps of air. Her vision got blurry and it started feeling like the walls were closing in.

 

Ella crossed back to her and took her hands, “It’s alright, you’re safe. You’re in our home. I’m here, Lady is here. You’re not alone, you’re alright.”

 

Sansa nodded and gripped Ella’s hands, blinking rampantly until she could see correctly, “I just want it to stop.”

 

Ella nodded, “It will, Dovey. One of these days you are going to look in that mirror naked from head to toe and all you’re going to think is _Damn_. It’s just going to take some time. And you have to be gentle with yourself until then.”

 

Sansa nodded and Ella pulled her over to the bed. She sat down and Ella hopped up behind her and she felt a brush being pulled through her hair.

 

Sansa sighed, “You have your own date to get ready for, El. You don’t have to coddle me.”

 

Even still she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment as she felt Ella lift her hair and brush out the ends, tucking some of it behind her hair and pulling the brush gingerly through her long strands.

 

“Joffrey tore all of my dolls’ heads off when I was a kid, I never got to do this,” Ella joked, “Besides, I’m practically ready for my date.”

 

Not for the first time, Sansa was jealous of her best friend. Myrcella Baratheon caused a lot of girls jealousy, with her poreless skin and effortless charm, but it was her confidence Sansa coveted most. Though, she supposed it was easy to be confident when you were heartbreakingly beautiful and about to go out with a man who had been in love with you for years.

 

Ella continued brushing her hair and said, “I never really talked to you about it… you’re cool with this, right? Me and Robb?”

 

Sansa rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against Ella’s shoulder, “I’m very cool with it. You two were made for each other. Just promise I’ll still be your favorite Stark.”

 

“But Rickon’s my favorite,” Ella joked and Sansa snorted. Her roommate wrapped her arms around her and smacked a kiss on her cheek, “Of _course_ you’re still my favorite. You’re my soulmate, Sansa, Robb’s just arm candy.”

 

Sansa grinned and squeezed her before getting up. Though she was absolutely sure that the pair of them were soulmates, Ella was full of it about Robb being arm candy. They were it, the real thing. There was no doubt about that.

 

She fixed her top and grabbed a dragonfly hair comb off of her vanity and tucked it into her hair. She pulled on her jeans and then looked in her closet.

 

“How tall is Jon?,” she asked.

 

Ella chuckled, “I’m surprised you don’t remember… but I don’t know… he and Robb were about level when they were having their little man moment.”

 

Robb was nearly a head taller than her so she grabbed a pair of black heeled ankle boots out of her closet. She was tall, and had dated her fair share of guys that didn’t like it when she wore heels, but something told her that even if she was towering over him, Jon wouldn’t mind. There was a confidence to him, amidst the awkwardness, that suggested he wouldn’t be the type to feel unmanned easily.

 

She dusted some dark silver eyeshadow on her lids and rubbed in some cream blush, swiping a bit of mascara on to darken her lashes.

 

“DOVEY? SWEETHEART? YOU GUYS HERE?,” she heard from downstairs.

 

“El you gotta get ready, Robb’s here,” she said.

 

“I’m ready,” Ella said and Sansa turned around and her mouth dropped.

 

“You can’t wear that,” she said in shock, “You’ll kill him.”

 

Ella grinned and looked down at herself, “Yeah well, he’s lived a good life.”

 

***

 

Jon sighed as he looked down at his phone for the 37th time. It was 6:57, so he finally allowed himself to round the corner onto Thistle Street. He walked halfway down the block and stopped in front of a three story brick townhouse.

 

Flowers lined the walkway and he could hear music coming out of one of the second floor windows, an it looked like the cheeriest house in the world.

 

He’d been there before, he’d walked Sansa home from the Forge last Friday night and he’d come to pick up Ella to take her to the gym on Monday. She’d convinced him to try out her kickboxing class and he’d scoffed, thinking he’d be a natural, but in truth he’d fought to keep up with her the whole time.

 

It was when he had dropped Ella off on Monday that he’d finally bucked up the courage to ask Sansa out. They’d been texting a bit, and he had a pretty good chance of what her answer would be considering how long they’d spent making out on her front steps. Even still, he had a feeling that she might be the last girl he’d ever be asking out and he didn’t want to do it like a bumbling idiot.

 

He couldn’t really explain why he felt that way - well he could, because she was kind and intelligent and funny and so beautiful it made him want to cease blinking entirely so he didn’t miss a second of it. He was aware that he’d just met her though, and that there was something in her past, something terrible, and he wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything to spook her.

 

Ella had been texting him motivational texts all day long, the last of which was _stop being such a pansy_ , and honestly, that was the most helpful one, so he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

 

It opened almost immediately and he looked right into a pair of blue eyes.

 

“Jon,” Robb nodded.

 

“Robb,” Jon nodded as well.

 

To say they hadn’t gotten off to the best start would be an understatement. Robb had come in, guns blazing, clearly out of his mind jealous about Ella being on a date, and Jon couldn’t help but fuck with him. Because Ella was clearly in love with him and he didn’t take very kindly to Robb making her feel even a second of doubt that he felt the same way for her.

 

It was an odd dynamic, considering that he should now be sucking up to Robb, since he’d ultimately like to join his family, even still, he appraised him just as cooly as Robb was gazing at him.

 

“Come on in,” Robb said and stepped aside, “The girls are still upstairs.”

 

Jon gave him a tight lipped smile and stepped inside. His grin turned wide though when he looked around, because if he had spent time imagining what the inside of Sansa and Ella’s home might look like, this would be exactly it. It was feminine and classic with little personal touches here and there.

 

One of which came up and sniffed him.

 

“Hey girl,” he said and held out his hand to let the husky sniff it.

 

She did and nuzzled against it so he crouched down and pet her. She was a beautiful dog, with soft grey fur and a happy demeanour.

 

He looked up to find Robb watching him, and though his lips weren’t smiling, his eyes were, “Can I get you a beer or something?”

 

Jon’s brow furrowed and he nodded, “Uh, sure, that’d be great.”

 

He followed Robb into the kitchen and was instantly hit with the smell of vanilla.

 

Robb opened the fridge and grabbed out two beers, “There are cupcakes on the table if you want one, El made them, they are _bomb,_ ” and he crossed to the kitchen table to grab one.

 

“Cupcakes and beer?,” Jon questioned.

 

Robb turned around, half a cupcake in his mouth, and sputtered, “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

 

Jon chuckled and shrugged and held out his hand for one. It was frosted to perfection and had little pink pearls on it.

 

“Sansa decorated,” Robb explained, “They are edible, don’t worry.”

 

Jon took a bite and fought the urge to moan and swallowed before taking a sip of beer. Surprisingly it wasn’t a terrible combination.

 

“So where are you taking her?,” Robb asked, “I’m sure El gave you tons of suggestions…”

 

Jon chuckled and said, “Yeah I should’ve printed out the list, it was…extensive. But um I’m taking her to that seafood place at the docks? Ella said it was her favorite…”

 

Robb burst out laughing, “It is, but she’s going to make you wear a bib. Don’t fight her on it, you’ll lose.”

 

Jon nodded, because he couldn’t really imagine fighting Sansa on anything.

 

“Robb? What just happened there?,” he couldn’t help but ask. “I mean, we uhm, didn’t get off to a great start for obvious reasons and I thought it might continue that way but…”

 

“Lady,” Robb said and Jon’s brow furrowed. Robb shook his head, “She’s got a good sense for these things. And she’s really protective of Sansa, and she doesn’t seem to have a problem with you. So, I figure I might as well give you the benefit of the doubt… I didn’t listen to her once before and…well anyway, just… I’m sorry for the way we met. I love the girl, Ella I mean, obviously and it didn’t matter who was on that date with her, it wasn’t -“

 

“You,” Jon finished for him, trying to focus on the second half of what he said and not the first. He couldn’t think about Sansa’s past right now, every time he did it made him go crazy, and all he wanted was to know what happened but he knew no one would tell him and he didn’t want to hear it from anyone other than her anyway. “I could’ve been anyone, but I was the guy on a date with the love of your life. I get it, honestly, I do. Losing a girl like her - I reckon most wouldn’t survive a thing like that.”

 

Robb nodded, “Nearly managed it through my own stupidity though.”

 

Jon chuckled, “Yeah what _was_ that, you don’t seem like the type to hold back, you seem a bit too…”

 

“Boorish?,” a sweet voice asked from behind him.

 

Robb’s eyes softened and his smile got wider and when Jon turned around he saw why. Because there was his little sister, looking beautiful and angelic, her dog planted firmly at her side.

 

“Hi,” he said stupidly.

 

It worked though, because she gave him a breathtaking smile and said, “Hi.”

 

“You look great, Dovey. Where’s El?,” Robb asked.

 

Sansa’s eyes widened and she said, “She was just brushing her teeth, she’ll be right down. But Robb… when you see her I want you to breathe.”

 

Jon chuckled, and turned to look at Robb. He was pretty dressed down in jeans and a sweater, a Wintertown Direwolves hat on, but Jon wouldn’t put it past Ella to wear couture to a pub just because she could. Her irreverence was pretty spectacular and she had a good sense of humour, something told him she wouldn’t hesitate to fuck with Robb like that.

 

Robb scoffed, “Remember that red dress last New Years? I think I’ll be fine…”

 

Sansa shrugged, “If you say so,” then crossed to him and whispered, “Can we stay until she comes down? I just want to see his reaction…”

 

He grinned and nodded, because he wouldn’t mind seeing it either, and he wouldn’t really deny this girl anything anyway. He rubbed her back and she tensed for a moment but just as he was about to pull away she relaxed and smiled at him.

 

“You look stunning,” he told her honestly and her cheeks reddened but her smile blinded him.

 

“Robb did you offer Jon a cupcake?,” they heard a lilting voice say.

 

Lady sprinted out of the kitchen and returned a moment later, with Ella by her side. Jon glanced at Sansa in question, but she was practically vibrating with excitement.

 

He had to admit, he didn’t quite understand. Ella was a beautiful girl, there was no denying it, but she was wearing jeans and sneakers and an oversized hockey jersey.

 

“Take it off!,” Robb ordered.

 

Ella bit her lip to hide a grin, “I’m not a piece of meat, Robb.”

 

“Ella so help me _god_ , take it off,” Robb growled. “I’m not taking you anywhere in that.”

 

“ _Ooh he’s going to pay for that_ ,” Sansa whispered in his ear.

 

Ella stubbornly put her hands on her hips and said, “Robb I don’t understand, it’s a _hockey_ game - this is _appropriate attire_.”

 

“NOT WHEN YOU ARE SITTING RIGHT BEHIND THE DIREWOLVES’ BENCH IT ISN’T,” Robb shouted.

 

That’s when Jon focused on the crown emblazoned on the front of the jersey for the King’s Landing Crowns. He couldn’t but chuckle and Sansa buried her face in his shoulder as she did as well.

 

“Well I think it would be rude to sit so close and not have at least one article of clothing representing my team,” Ella shrugged nonchalantly, “I almost wore my ski hat too, do you think I’ll be cold? Should I grab it?”

 

“Damn it, Ella,” Robb said sternly, but then broke out into laughter, “You’re going to get me killed, you know that? Direwolves fans are no joke…”

 

Ella batted her eyelashes at him, “Don’t you worry, I won’t ask you to defend my honor…”

 

Robb rolled his eyes, as though to say there was nothing that’d stop him from defending her honor, and right then Jon officially realised something that he had unconsciously decided moments earlier - he liked Robb Stark.

 

Ella swept by him and Sansa and jumped, without any hesitation, into Robb’s arms.

 

“Tell me I look pretty,” she ordered.

 

“You look beautiful,” Robb sighed in defeat.

 

“Tell me you like my outfit,” she goaded.

 

“But I never want to lie to you, sweetheart,” Robb teased.

 

She giggled, “Say you like this jersey and I might just let you take it off me later…”

 

Sansa gagged and Jon grinned as Robb nuzzled Ella’s nose with his, “It’s the most beautiful item of clothing I’ve ever seen…”

 

***

 

“I really thought you’d put up more of a fight than that,” Sansa teased.

 

Jon chuckled, causing warmth to spread through her whole body and said, “I was told that resistance was futile.”

 

She grinned, watching Jon tie the bib around his neck. They were at her favourite restaurant at the docks. It wasn’t dive-y per se, but it wasn’t a white tablecloth kind of place either, and the seafood was the best in the city. They gave you lemons to rid your hands of the smell and the menu was never exactly the same.

 

At her suggestion they had walked to the restaurant. The docks were in the neighbourhood adjacent to the posh one where she and Ella lived, so it hadn’t been very far, and she relished being able to walk there at night. She didn’t often walk alone at night, anywhere, not even in the safe neighbourhood that she lived, but she had noticed last Friday that people gave Jon a wide berth.

 

She understood it, he was intimidating. He was tall and broad and there was something in his way of moving that told you his body had not been earned simply in the gym.

 

When she was with him, people gave her a wide berth too. She had spent hundreds of dollars over the past year on taxis so that she wouldn’t have to take the subway. She couldn’t handle being shut in, the feel of strangers pressed up against her, a man’s breath on her neck.

 

Jon hadn’t touched her either, except for the kitchen when he’d rubbed her back. She’d seen it, in his eyes, he’d realised her fear and she hated herself for it. She wanted to take his hand as they walked, the way she had done last week when he’d walked her home.

 

She’d been drunk then though and they had been kissing so much and it had felt easy to slip her hand into his, to hold onto his strong bicep and lean her cheek against it. Easy and nice. So very nice.

 

The waitress came and took their drink orders, Jon got a beer and she got a cider and then they were left on their own again.

 

“So what’s good here?,” Jon asked.

 

“Everything,” she promised, “Do you like oysters?”

 

“Trying to seduce me?,” he asked and then his face fell in horror, “I’m sorry -“

 

“Why? That is _exactly_ what I’m doing,” she teased.

 

He chuckled, “You don’t need shellfish for that… trust me.”

 

“Bibs really do it for you, huh?,” she asked, showing hers off.

 

Something about him made her feel younger, giddier, more trusting. She felt silly and pretty and all the things she had hated herself for being for the past year. It felt good though, safe even. Like maybe with him, she could be the girl she was supposed to be.

 

His eyes crinkled at the sides and he nodded, “Something like that.”

 

“But seriously,” she said and he raised his eyebrows, “Do you like oysters because I’m _really_ craving them…”

 

“I’ve never tried them…,” he said and her mouth fell agape. He scrunched his nose adorably, “Are they slimy?” She chuckled and shrugged. “I guess I’ll find out.”

 

“You’re a brave man, Jon Snow,” she grinned, reaching across the table and covering his hand with hers.

 

His eyes trailed from hers down to her hand and wandered slowly back up. When they met hers again they were shining just a little, though that could have been the dim lighting.

 

“Sansa Stark,” he sighed, “Do not speak to me of _brave_.”

 

***

 

An hour later, Jon was absolutely certain of two things. The first was that he hated shellfish and the second was that he very possibly loved Sansa Stark.

 

He had fought both. He’d really tried to love the oysters and clams Sansa had ordered but had fought to get them down. But he’d been a goner ever since she’d seen right through him and ordered him fish and chips instead.

 

In truth, he’d probably been a goner for a lot longer than that. Since the first moment he saw her would be accurate, but as would the moment when she’d beautifully shielded him from having to talk about his time in the military, or the way she’d bravely leaned forward and kissed him at the bar even though there was something terrible in her past probably screaming at her not to try again.

 

When he’d gone to the gym with Ella he had asked her how long she’d been doing kickboxing. She was clearly in good shape, but he would have thought she’d do mostly cardio, maybe some yoga. She gritted her teeth as she had kicked the punching bag and said _I realised about a year ago that I want to be able to do more than run away if the occasion ever calls for it_.

 

He hadn’t pressed her on it, because that in and of itself was fair. She was a small girl, and a beautiful one, he was sure men on the street saw her as easy prey. But that punching bag wasn’t a random man to her, that much was clear.

 

 _Not me, my best friend. Which is worse, I think_.

 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Sansa was that best friend. They were roommates, but soulmates might be a better descriptor. There was something deep and ancient to their friendship, like it had always existed and always would.

 

_She’s gotten me through, well she was…_

 

Sansa hadn’t been able to get it out. Hadn’t been able to say what it was exactly that Ella had seen her through, but it wasn’t hard to guess.

 

And yet, here she sat, strong and vibrant, willing to try. She was the bravest person he’d ever known.

 

He was sorry when the waitress set down the check on their table. He wasn’t ready for the night to be over. If he had his way, he’d go on sitting across the table from this girl all night.

 

She turned to reach in her bag, “Don’t even think about it.”

 

Her eyes flicked to his and her cheeks turned pink and she grinned, “Halfsies?”

 

“Nope,” he shook his head, setting his card down and pushing it to the side of the table.

 

“Then how about I treat next time?,” she asked.

 

“Next time?,” he asked stupidly and she nodded, her lips parted as though she were about to smile but she was still waiting on his confirmation. “We’ll talk about it on Sunday.”

 

“Sunday?,” she asked, the grin now fully formed and more dazzling than he was prepared for.

 

He wasn’t really sure how to suggest it, but he said, “There’s some place I’d like to take you, if you’ll let me? It’s a bit of a drive though…”

 

“A…a drive?,” she repeated and the grin was gone.

 

“About an hour,” he nodded, and he could tell she was hesitant. He wondered what might make her feel more comfortable. He could offer for Robb and Ella to come, but he really wanted to take her, share it with her, on her own, first. He wanted her to feel safe though, and he thought about what Robb had said so he suggested, “You could bring Lady, maybe?”

 

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?,” she asked hopefully.

 

He hated that she was afraid to be alone with him. He knew it wasn’t personal, but he hated it all the same. He hoped that some day soon she’d feel there was no safer place for her than at his side.

 

Until then though, he’d give her anything she needed.

 

“Not at all,” he promised, “So Sunday?”

 

She nodded, “Sunday.”

 

***

 

“So, Sunday?,” Jon asked as they stood on her front steps.

 

She grinned and looked down and nodded, “Sunday.”

 

They’d already confirmed Sunday, they had a whole plan. He’d pick her up at 10 AM, they’d stop at Drip for coffee and then get on the road. He hadn’t told her where they were going, but promised to tell Ella.

 

She wasn’t really nervous to be alone with him when she thought about it, but it was smart for someone to know where she would be. Plus, Ella would be able to advise her on wardrobe.

 

Even still, she liked that he confirmed it again, and the way he said it slightly nervously, like he had run out of things to say before he was ready to let her go.

 

“Okay then,” he cleared his throat. He lifted his hand as though he might reach for her but lowered it again and she glanced up at him, “I’ll see you then.”

 

She nodded and so did he, and his gaze fell from her eyes to her lips and then back up, but he merely nodded again and turned to leave.

 

“Jon?,” she all but whispered.

 

It was enough though and he turned back to her, a question in his eyes. She opened her mouth to answer it but she found she didn’t have words.

 

She didn’t want to ask him to kiss her, that was so pathetic. She knew that she could kiss him, like she had the other night, but she didn’t want him to be afraid to touch her, to reach for her. She knew why he was, she knew that he knew something - enough to be careful anyway, and it only endeared him to her more.

 

Because she knew he didn’t think less of her, not yet anyway, she knew he wanted her. She could feel it.

 

“Sansa,” he said in that low voice that drove her crazy, his eyes locked on hers.

 

She wasn’t sure what to do but it didn’t matter because he closed the distance between them. She let out something in between a sigh and a cry and then his lips were on hers and she was in his arms.

 

Both were gentle, even as she felt the strength behind them.

 

They had kissed a lot on Friday, but it didn’t compare to this, not when neither of them had had too much to drink and she’d spent the evening getting to know him, feeling the overwhelming comfort of his presence.

 

She opened her mouth and his tongue dipped in, tasting hers. She reached her hands into his hair, which she remembered was soft and he groaned into her mouth, his arm around her back pulling her flush against him.

 

She tugged him by the lapels of his jacket and they were stumbling backwards until they reached her front door. He broke the impact with his palm slapping against it, his other hand on her neck, his thumb under her chin.

 

He surrounded her entirely, and she had never known it could feel like this. That a man towering above her would make her feel safe rather than scared.

 

He pressed her gently up against the door, his hands trailing down her until they got to her waist which he held firmly in one hand, the knuckles of the other trailing over her ribs.

 

She felt them over the raised skin of her scar and it was like a bucket of cold water. Her hands dropped off of him and she went entirely still.

 

He stopped kissing her immediately and retracted slightly. He was panting and his eyes were wild but there was concern in them too.

 

She gave him a sheepish smile, “I…I’m sorry I just don’t think that we should…tonight…”

 

His eyes softened and he raised his knuckle to her cheek. Her heart seized for a moment until she felt the tenderness of the gesture, his skin ghosting over hers.

 

“I’ll see you Sunday, pretty girl,” he grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, “Sleep tight.”

 

She bit her lip and nodded and then opened her front door, he turned as she got inside and gave her a little wave. She closed the door and waited a few beats before she let out a squeal and did a little shimmy.

 

“Ella?!,” she called as she pet Lady who came running over to her, “EL ARE YOU HERE!!?”

 

Sansa couldn’t wait to tell her best friend everything. She was the one, after all, who had seen potential in her and Jon before they’d even met. Changing their blind date into a set up.

 

Since last week Ella had been singing Jon’s praises, making sure she wasn’t too nervous. Ella had shared in all of her pain of the last year and now Sansa wanted to share her joy too.

 

“Sansa!,” a deep voice exclaimed.

 

She turned to find Robb there, in a pair of boxers, holding a tupperware container.

 

“Oh,” she said.

 

She knew that Ella and Robb were _together together_ now. And she was happy, overly so, but even still… it was a little strange to see evidence of it in her foyer.

 

She pet Grey Wind as he came trotting into the room and he nuzzled against her leg.

 

“Sorry, Dovey,” Robb groaned.

 

“It’s okay,” she nodded, willing it to be true, “It’s totally fine I mean it’s a little um - is that the leftover frosting from the cupcakes?”

 

Her older brother’s ears turned beet red which was a telltale sign of his embarrassment.

 

“Well uh…”

 

“ROBB EW!”

 

“Sansa?,” a sweet voice called, “Is that you? What’s wrong? Did your date go okay?”

 

Sansa closed her eyes and rubbed her temple, “It went great… though um not as great as yours apparently.”

 

Robb let out a chuckle and she couldn’t help but do the same.

 

“I think I’m just going to go to bed, and um… put in headphones,” she joked and started walking up the stairs, Grey Wind and Lady following her, “Night guys.”

 

She got to the top of the steps and Ella stepped forward. She was wearing Robb’s sweater and seemingly nothing else and she looked a bit rumpled but deliriously happy.

 

“Wait, Dovey,” she said and Sansa stopped, “I want to hear about it…”

 

She opened her mouth to tell her everything but Robb was climbing the stairs behind her and he gave her a sheepish smile.

 

She knew that if she wanted, Robb would go home, or sleep on the couch, or sleep in Ella’s room so that she and Ella could have a sleepover. She knew that Ella would press a kiss to Robb’s lips and say _sorry baby_ as she dragged Sansa into her room to tell her everything. The pair of them would stop anything, everything, for her.

 

But they had been doing that long enough. It was their time for joy, too.

 

She smiled at Robb and then turned to Ella, “I’ll tell you in the morning. Every last detail.”

 

“Promise?,” Ella asked.

 

“Pinky,” Sansa confirmed.

 

Ella grinned at her and said, “Night,” and then turned to Robb, “What’s that?”

 

“Um… frosting.”

 

“Robb EW!,” Ella groaned muttering something about her boyfriend being a pervert and walking back into her room.

 

Sansa giggled and Robb chuckled and he turned to bring the frosting back to the fridge.

 

“How was the game?,” she asked and he stopped immediately and turned around.

 

“It was great,” Robb said with a smile.

 

“Who won?,” she wondered.

 

Robb’s brow furrowed and then he chuckled and shook his head, “I have no idea.”

 

She smiled, “Promise me something, won’t you, Robby?”

 

“Anything,” he said, suddenly alert.

 

“Love her like this always,” she demanded.

 

He gave her a dopey smile and said, “Couldn’t help it if I tried. Promise,” he looked at her quizzically and asked, “He treat you well?”

 

“Very well, promise,” she confirmed.

 

Robb nodded, “I think I like him.”

 

Her heart felt like bursting and she gushed, “I think I do too.”

 

He smiled at her, but there were tears in her eyes, “No one deserves it more than you.”

 

“Except maybe you,” she pointed out and he grinned and saluted her and turned to go down the stairs. “Oh and Robb, you can just toss that frosting. I’ll never eat cupcakes again.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for the lovely responses on the last chapter! (ps I added a little extra bit at the end of it, if you haven't seen it)
> 
> this one got a little sadder than I had originally intended, I'll bring fluff back next ch.

 

He had been up for hours already.

 

He’d had one of his dreams, there had been smoke and fire, the smell of blood in the air. He’d woken in a cold sweat with Ghost standing over him, panting, as though he too had seen it all.

 

He’d gone to the gym and tried to sweat it out, but it had done little to assuage the nervous pit in his stomach. That pit was accompanied by the excitement coursing through him at the thought of seeing Sansa again.

 

To put it simply, he was a mess.

 

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door just before 10 AM and a beautiful girl opened it.

 

“Jon,” Ella grinned, “Come on in. Sansa just got a call from work, she’ll be down in a minute.”

 

“Thanks,” he said and accepted the kiss she pressed to his cheek.

 

“Sorry for the way I’m dressed, Robb and I are planning ourselves an oafish Sunday,” she explained, gesturing to her flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt that drowned her, “He’s just in the living room, can I get you coffee while you wait or anything?”

 

He shook his head, “Don’t think caffeine is the right thing for me right now.”

 

She had been leading him towards the living room but stopped and turned, a sympathetic frown on her face. She stepped closer to him, brushing a dog he hadn’t met away from her who seemed intent on making her trip over him until she pet him.

 

“You’re nervous about today,” she stated.

 

He had told her where he was taking Sansa. He had promised Sansa that he would, and though she’d insisted it was so that Ella could advise on attire he knew that she felt better knowing that someone would know where she would be. It was smart, she hardly knew him.

 

He nodded and felt her small hand taking his.

 

“I’ve been telling her that she can trust you,” she said softly and tugged his hand until he looked at her, “But maybe I should have been telling you the same thing. You can trust her Jon, with anything. I _promise_. I trust her with my life and I’ve never once regretted it.”

 

“It’s not the same,” he said, though he gripped her hand because somehow after only a week of knowing Ella, he needed her in a way he didn’t quite understand. “You’ve known her since you were kids, you’re her soulmate, you -“

 

“You’re right. But all the same, let her in. Just let her _in_ , Jon, you won’t be sorry.”

 

He sighed, “I just don’t want to scare her… there’s… It’s a lot, for a girl like her to take on.”

 

Ella’s hand went limp in his and it fell back to her side, she raised her chin haughtily, and said, “I don’t think you know many girls like her.”

 

He and Ella may have developed a bond, but there was no doubting where her loyalties were. They were exactly where they should be, and he could only hope that one day she’d be that devoted to him too.

 

“You’re right,” he nodded, “I’m just…”

 

“Nervous,” she finished and he nodded. She gave him a sad smile and hooked her arm through his, “Don’t be. I think it’s lovely, what you’re doing. I really do. I’d tell you if I thought it was a mistake. Just come in and sit down, you can help me and Robb with our crossword puzzle.”

 

They walked into the living room and found Lady at Robb’s feet, her chin up on the chair he was sitting on, looking at him adoringly as he rubbed her head absentmindedly.

 

“I’m stuck, sweetheart,” Robb said with a furrowed brow and then looked up at him, “Hey man. What’s a four letter word for story?”

 

“Um… tale?,” Jon guessed.

 

“That’s what I said!,” Robb said in annoyance, “But it has a ‘c’ in it.”

 

“Epic,” Ella said, letting go of his arm and gesturing to the couch for him to sit down.

 

She crossed to where Robb was sitting and crawled into his lap, where she’d clearly just vacated. He tucked her against him and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

“What would I do without you?,” he asked her lovingly.

 

“Tear up the Sunday crossword?,” Ella offered, tucking her head under Robb’s chin, and wrapping her arm around his middle, making herself nice and cozy.

 

They were both in pajamas, coffee mugs on the coffee table, two dogs at their feet. They were the picture of domestic bliss and Jon felt envious in a way he’d never experienced.

 

He wanted that, what they had. The intimacy, the comfort. It looked so _nice_.

 

Robb placed the crossword down in his lap and leaned forward, his arm immediately wrapping around Ella so that she didn’t fall and grabbed his coffee.

 

“So where are you taking Sansa?,” he asked.

 

Jon furrowed his brow and asked, “El didn’t tell you?”

 

Robb let out a _ha!,_ “Of course she didn’t, I couldn’t get it out of her if I was tearing her fingernails off,” his face then fell and he tilted her chin up to his, “Which I would never do.”

 

Ella grinned and pressed a quick kiss to his lips and then turned to him and told him seriously, “I’d never tell one of your secrets.”

 

So maybe he did have her devotion after all.

 

He nodded at her and she nodded at him and then smiled widely.

 

“Hey,” he heard a soft voice behind him and obnoxious little things in his stomach started fluttering.

 

He turned around and his mouth went dry but he managed, “Hi.”

 

Sansa was dressed casually, in jeans and a soft looking white turtleneck sweater, her hair up in a high ponytail. She looked like an angel.

 

“I’m so sorry, my boss called and -“

 

“Ugh what did Littlecreeper want?,” Robb asked.

 

Sansa’s cheeks went pink and she said, “He needed some information on a briefing he couldn’t find… but um, it’s all settled now, but I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

 

He wanted to tell her that she could keep him waiting as long as she wanted if she showed up looking like that, but he just waved her off and stood up.

 

“Are you all set?,” he asked and she nodded.

 

He glanced back at Robb and Ella who were looking at him with smiles on their faces, Robb looked like he was enjoying watching him being a bumbling idiot and Ella looked encouragingly at him. He nodded at her and then turned back to Sansa and held his hand out to her.

 

A gorgeous grin lit up her face and she placed hers in his, and it was like a jolt of lightning so he couldn’t help but tug her forward and plant a light kiss on her lips.

 

“Hey,” he said again, but it came out as a murmur.

 

She cocked her head to the side adorably and looked into his eyes and smiled, “Hi,” she said again, but it came out as a coo.

 

“We’ll see you guys later,” he said to Robb and Ella who were whispering amongst themselves but still watching them.

 

“Go on, Lady,” Robb urged and Sansa’s dog popped up, seemingly happy as well for her adventure.

 

“Oh and Jon, I’m making a big roast this afternoon if you want to stay for dinner,” Ella said, “Theon’s coming and so is Gendry. We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Sansa?”

 

He fixed Ella with a look and she crossed her eyes and grinned at him and he turned back to Sansa.

 

She gave him a small, hopeful smile, “Ella makes the best roasts.”

 

He didn’t know how to cook all that well, and the thought of a home cooked meal, in Sansa and Ella’s home, with their friends was more than enough to tempt him. But that _smile_.

 

He squeezed Sansa’s hand and asked Ella, “Can I bring anything?”

 

“Just my girls home, safe and sound,” Ella said sweetly, though there was a warning in it too.

 

He nodded and waved, and Robb and Ella waved back before picking the crossword up again. He and Sansa walked out of her house hand in hand, Lady trotting at her side.

 

“So um, I hope you don’t mind…,” he said, “But when Ghost found out Lady was coming he got _really_ jealous… and,” and with that he opened the back door and Ghost peered out of the backseat of his truck and licked Sansa from chin to forehead.

 

She let out a surprised giggle but recovered quickly and started rubbing his head and cooing at him nonsensically. Lady sat waiting patiently to be introduced so he pet her head.

 

“Ghost, back up,” he said and Ghost moved to the other side of the truck.

 

Lady put her front paws up on the seat of the truck and then looked at him expectantly - and a _little_ flirtatiously if he was not mistaken.

 

Sansa rolled her eyes, “She’s such a tart. Robb always helps her in his truck, do you mind?”

 

He chuckled at the idea of this demure husky being a _tart_ and grabbed her and hoisted her up into the back seat. She and Ghost sniffed one another and when it was obvious that everything was collegial he closed the door and walked Sansa around to the other side.

 

He opened the door for her and she looked at him with a small smile. She narrowed her eyes playfully and asked, “Are you always this much of a gentleman, Jon Snow?”

 

She was standing so close to him and she looked so beautiful and he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her. He took in her surprised sigh and then he felt her melt against him, her fingers grazing his cheek. He wrapped his arm around her back and deepened the kiss and he felt her scrunch his flannel shirt in her hands.

 

He felt a deep rumbling in his chest but then realised it wasn’t coming from him, it was coming from Ghost. He and Sansa both stopped and turned to look into a pair of red eyes staring at him.

 

“Ghost?,” he asked, and his dog narrowed his eyes at him.

 

Sansa giggled and reached over the seat and rubbed his head, “You’re a very good boy, making sure your Daddy behaves,” she then turned haughtily to Lady and said, “And what about you? You’re supposed to be my bodyguard.”

 

Lady just looked at her and let out a sigh of contentment, as she laid her head on Ghost’s haunches.

 

Sansa shook her head, “Tart.”

 

***

“Blech,” he groaned, shaking his head.

 

He was so adorable she almost couldn’t stand it.

 

“You’re so full of it,” she teased, “I know you prefer mine,” she said as she took back her coffee cup.

 

He guffawed, “It tastes like a liquified cinnamon bun.”

 

“And that’s a bad thing…how?,” she countered and he grinned.

 

They had stopped at Drip before leaving town, and had been on the road for about forty-five minutes or so. Ghost and Lady were huddled in the back seat, and every so often one of them snored happily.

 

It was a bright, beautiful day outside and they’d gotten off the main highway a few miles ago and had turned onto a country road that was lined on either side with trees changing color.

 

She and Jon had been chatting about inconsequential things, he’d told her a story about Sam at work, and she’d told him about Gendry and Arya’s latest fight which had been a real doozy. Arya had her and Ella in hysterics last night when she’d stormed into their house and demanded whiskey and unconditional loyalty.

 

He had wondered if Arya would be at dinner tonight and she assured him that she would. She was nervous about them meeting, Arya was fiercely protective of her and she knew that Gendry wasn’t Jon’s biggest fan - even though Ella and Robb had gotten together the same night, he hadn’t forgiven him for kissing another girl while he was technically on a date with his sister. Even though Ella had told him he was being an idiot and that it had all been her idea.

 

He turned onto a new road and something in the car shifted. Ghost woke up behind her and stood. Jon’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

 

She felt a cold shiver run down her spine and Lady whined in the back. She felt herself starting to perspire and breathe a little heavier.

 

_No. No. No. No._

 

“Sansa?,” Jon asked gruffly.

 

She didn’t want to be, but she was looking for exits. She was looking at the speedometer to see how fast they were going. Looking for road signs. She was gripping her cell phone.

 

“Sansa, you’re scaring me,” he said.

 

_I’m scaring you?!_

 

She didn’t realise that she’d said that out loud until he pulled over on the side of the road and parked the car. She fought the urge to open the door and run out.

 

_Jon is Jon. I’m safe with him._

 

“You… you… I can’t breathe,” she shook her head and fumbled for the door.

 

She all but fell out of it and took deep, greedy gulps of air. She laid her head back against the truck and Lady hopped out and pressed herself against her side. She fell to the ground and hugged Lady to her, breathing in her comforting smell.

 

“Sansa,” Jon whispered, having gotten out of the truck as well and come over to her side.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked out. She hadn’t realised she’d been crying.

 

“Don’t apologise,” he said softly, and he crouched down next to her, “I triggered it, didn’t I?”

 

She didn’t ask him what he was talking about. _It takes one to know one_. She nodded.

 

“Do you want to tell me how?,” he asked and she shook her head, pressing a kiss to Lady. He stroked Lady’s head and she looked at her dog who nuzzled against him and she started breathing easier again. “Okay.”

 

“You’re…not,” she managed. He was silent and she found the courage to look at him, “You’re scared.” He nodded and she couldn’t help but ask, “Of me?”

 

He shook his head, “No, not of you. This thing I want to show you, it isn’t easy.”

 

_It takes one to know one._

 

“I’ll help you,” she whispered and then repeated it with more strength in her voice, stroking his cheek, “I’ll help you.”

 

His charcoal eyes searched her face and he shook his head, “There really is no one like you, is there?”

 

“I hope not… poor girl,” she said and he let out a surprised chuckle and nodded.

 

He held her wrist gently, so gently, and kissed the heel of her palm.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

 

He was so good, so careful, so tender.

 

“Barbecues,” he said and her brow furrowed, “I can’t go to barbecues anymore.”

 

_I triggered it, didn’t I?_

 

It wasn’t pity she saw in his eyes. It was understanding.

 

“I can live without hot dogs,” she reasoned softly, letting the pad of her thumb stroke his cheek.

 

He gave her a sad smile and swallowed hard and then took her hand off his face and held it, pulling her up along with him.

 

“We can go back,” he told her.

 

It would be easier, not to try. To go back to Wintertown. They could go to a movie or take the dogs to the park. They could help Ella cook or set the table at least, play cards with Robb. It would be nice.

 

But she was tired of being treated with kid gloves, and she got the sense that she wouldn’t know him, _really_ know him until she saw whatever he wanted to show her today. And she wanted to know him desperately. And she wanted him to know her.

 

“No,” she shook her head, “Only forwards.”

 

***

 

The grass needed trimming, and it looked like some teenagers had been there recently. He picked up a beer can and threw it in the trash can.

 

He must have let out an annoyed sigh because Sansa slipped her hand into his, interlocking their fingers, her other hand wrapping around his upper arm. His heart rate slowed immediately and he made a conscious effort to breathe more normally. He didn’t want to scare her again. He wasn’t sure what he had done in the car but he never wanted to make her feel like that again.

 

He looked down at her and she looked up at him. She didn’t smile, but there was an understanding in her eyes that was worth far more.

 

She was a marvel. When he had one of his episodes it took him hours to fully recover, for the ringing in his ears to stop, his vision to return to normal. Here she was though by his side.

 

He gripped her hand and continued walking, Lady and Ghost on either side of them. He brought her to a semi circle standing proudly underneath a great weirwood tree. There were six in total.

 

“Will you introduce me?,” Sansa asked softly.

 

He cleared his throat and said, “This is Grenn Young. We met the first day of basic training.”

 

“Were you fast friends?,” she wondered.

 

He chuckled and shook his head, “No he wanted me gone, only because I was better than him though.”

 

He could practically hear his friend’s guffaw in his head. The way he’d sputter out some nonsense and end up punching him in the arm. Practically.

 

He looked at the small white cross. And then the one next to it.

 

“This is Edd,” he went on and Sansa turned her attention, “He had been in the military for nearly a decade when I joined. But he was one of the first to accept my command, followed me into battle more times than I can count.”

 

Sansa leaned her chin against his arm and waited for him to go on.

 

“Our unit, they called us the Night’s Watch. The training we go through it sort of… cuts us off from the rest of things. Most of us didn’t have much family going in anyway but um… we became…”

 

“Brothers,” Sansa finished for him. He glanced down at her and she said, “My Uncle Benjen was one of you.”

 

He knew the name. Benjen Stark was a legend. He’d gone missing a year or two before Jon had joined. There were rumours he was still alive, the brothers who had returned from that mission swore it to this day. He’d saved their lives and countless others. They held onto hope.

 

Sansa clearly didn’t. He looked into her eyes and he knew she didn’t want to be told that he might still be out there. He understood that. Hope was a dangerous thing.

 

“He was a hero,” he said futilely.

 

“So were they,” she said softly, reminding him why they were there. “So are you.”

 

“I’m not a hero,” he argued.

 

“Surviving doesn’t make you any less heroic,” she countered gently, “It takes courage to go on in the afterwards.”

 

The afterwards.

 

He’d never thought of it in those terms, but that was exactly it. There was a before and an after, an undeniable, uncrossable line in between them.

 

She spoke of it like someone who knew what that was like, which reminded him of why he’d brought her here in the first place.

 

“I didn’t bring you here so you’d call me a hero,” he tried to joke.

 

She gave him a half smile and he turned towards her more fully. There was a tendril of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and it was easier to focus on that, so he tucked it behind her ear, his fingers trailing down her neck. She shivered slightly and leaned into his touch.

 

“So why, then?,” she prompted tenderly.

 

It was the whole reason he’d brought her, but now that the moment had come he found himself fighting for the right words.

 

“We were in Yunkai,” he started, “Our orders were to approach at night. It was an extraction mission. A Minister had been taken and was being held for ransom, failing that a public execution. We had some bad intelligence, there were more than we expected. Many more. The rebels who had taken him had been indoctrinated. They were happy to die in the name of their cause, so they set fire to the building. With themselves and all of us inside it.”

 

He remembered it all. The darkness and the smoke. Beams falling. Gunshots cracking.

 

“I was in charge of getting the Minister out. I found him in the basement, he’d…,” he started, thinking of the man covered in his own waste, dehydrated, beaten bloody. “He was in bad shape. I got him unchained, and carried him through the house. Grenn was in the kitchen fighting two off. Edd picked one off who was coming at me. Tormund was in hand to hand combat with one of the largest men I’ve ever seen. I tried to convince Edd to come with me, but he said he’d hold them off until I got the Minister to the helicopter, and that they’d be right behind me.”

 

She waited patiently for him to go on. He was grateful for that, that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silences. That she didn’t try to brush it away or place a balm over it.

 

“I got him on the helicopter, the pilot got him out of there, and I ran back towards the house. We later found out that they were planning an attack on one of the schools where foreign dignitaries sent their children. There were explosives in the basement. The sky was this impossible green. And they were all still inside.”

 

Sansa looked away from him and towards the crosses. Her eyes lingered on each one, reading the names on the little plaques.

 

When she looked back at him there were tears in her eyes and she opened her mouth as if to speak. No words came out though and a single tear wandered down her cheek. Instead she leaned forward, hesitantly and laid her cheek against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. He wondered if she could hear his heart beating erratically in his chest. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her too and he felt her nuzzle against him. He laid his cheek on top of her head and closed his eyes, breathing her in. Lavender replaced smoke in his nostrils and all at once his heart began to steady.

 

She didn’t tell him it wasn’t his fault, or that they would want him to live. She didn’t say he was just doing his job or that there was nothing he could have done. She didn’t say anything at all, she just held onto him tightly, like she was grateful he had been out of the house.

 

And for the first time it made him grateful too.

 

“Your knuckles,” she said softly.

 

“Am I hurting you?,” he asked in horror. He had been holding onto her tighter than he’d realised.

 

She didn’t let go of him, instead she held him tighter still, “On the steering wheel. They went white. His did too… the first time.”

 

_It takes courage to go on in the afterwards._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to know what you all think! xx


	3. Chapter 3

In the end, they did take Ghost and Lady to the park. They threw sticks for them and walked the paths and talked. They also didn’t talk. Which was nice.

 

They got back to her house around three and she smiled when she saw Gendry’s truck, and Theon and Sam’s cars parked on the street.

 

“Gang’s all here,” she said in excitement.

 

As they’d all entered adulthood, they had developed the usual fear of Sundays. Ella, ever the fixer, had created an open house policy for Sunday Funday. Everyone was welcome there any time after noon, it was come as you are - whether that was hungover, still drunk, or in an absolute panic about the week ahead. They usually did a roast of some kind, or if they had a particularly wild night, they’d order pizza and eat in their pajamas. Either way, it was the perfect cure for the Sunday Scaries - being surrounded by friends and siblings - and with each big presentation or promotion or absolute failure they had all begun to rely on it. She more than most.

 

Ella inviting Jon today had not been an accident. They’d discussed it the night before, and she was glad that Ella had done it right away, because she’d probably have lost her nerve if it was up to her.

 

He’d mentioned that he hadn’t met that many people since moving here, and she knew that with a little time, Robb, Theon and Gendry would consider him one of their own. Ella and he already adored one another, and he knew Sam and Gilly. And besides, she wanted him here. With her. So much that it frightened her just a little.

 

It was the nice kind of fear, though.

 

Jon grinned at her and she got out of the truck and opened the back seat. Ghost hopped down and Lady followed him. Ghost turned around immediately, sniffing her as though to check that she was alright.

 

“Good boy, Ghostie,” she cooed and stroked his head.

 

“Um… what did you just call him?,” Jon asked.

 

She felt her cheeks turn pink, “Um, Ghost?”

 

He raised his eyebrows at her and chuckled, “You are going to ruin him. I’m going to be such a poor substitute.”

 

“Well then you’ll just have to keep me around,” she said before she could think better of it.

 

She wished that she could take the words out of the universe and put them back into her brain where they belonged. She sounded so _needy_. All experience she had told her that boys did not like needy girls, that they liked _aloof_ girls who had better things to do than wait by the phone.

 

He grinned at her though and pulled her towards him, “I sure am trying to.”

 

He was looking at her like it wasn’t a line, like he meant it, and the idea of her wanting him to keep her around was the greatest thing he’d heard in a long while.

 

She rested her forearms on his shoulders and looked at him solemnly, “If you keep this up, I’m going to like you.”

 

“The _horror_ ,” he teased and moved his lips closer to hers.

 

She closed the distance and she felt that same jolt of electricity she felt every time they kissed. Now though there was something else there, a warmth spreading through her veins as he took her bottom lip in between his.

 

She gasped into his mouth and then she was against the side of his truck and his leg was in between hers and her hands were on his cheeks, holding him to her. He kissed her deeply and her hands abandoned his cheeks in favour of his hair. He groaned as she took hold of it and she whimpered against him.

 

“Well, Gendry owes me five bucks,” they heard and Jon was off of her in an instant.

 

They turned and saw Theon standing there, a giant grin on his face and the small bookcase that she and Ella were giving him for his office in his hands.

 

“Greyjoy,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster.

 

He grinned and bowed obsequiously, “ _Lady_ Stark…”

 

“You know Jon,” she said.

 

“Not as well as you,” he quipped.

 

She felt Jon tense at her side but she laughed, because he really could be such an ass and rolled her eyes. She held out her hand for Jon and he gave her a soft smile and took it in his.

 

She led him and the dogs up into her house and was immediately hit with the smell of a turkey cooking. She heard laughter in the kitchen and Grey Wind and Nymeria came trotting over to greet them all.

 

“Robb’s and Arya’s,” she noted to Jon as she pet Nymeria.

 

“Are they all brothers and sisters?,” he asked as Grey Wind walked in between them pointedly.

 

She nodded, “A story for another day.”

 

His eyes crinkled at her and said, “Sounds good to me.”

 

She felt that one all the way down in her toes and she was afraid if she kept looking at his earnest charcoal eyes and kissable lips she would drag him up to her bedroom, so she lead him into the kitchen.

 

“Dovey!,” everyone shouted and her cheeks went red.

 

Sam and Gilly were sat at the island, glasses of wine in front of them, as Robb played with their son little Sam on the kitchen floor. Arya was sitting on the counter next to the stove where Ella was stirring the gravy.

 

“Arya,” she called and her little sister hopped off the counter and crossed to them, “This is Jon.”

 

“This lot tells me you’re a good guy,” she said, gesturing to everyone amassed in the kitchen.

 

“Um…,” Jon shifted nervously under Arya’s gaze.

 

“We’ll see,” she said and narrowed her eyes at him once before sitting on the floor behind little Sam and pulling him into her lap and making him gurgle happily.

 

She smiled reassuringly at Jon, because really that went _way_ better than she had thought it would and looked around at all of them.

 

“Where’s Gendry?,” she asked.

 

Robb turned to her first and made a cutting motion with his hand, shaking his head and giving her an odd look.

 

Everyone was silent for a moment and Arya refused to meet her gaze. Sam gulped and Gilly took a sip of wine.

 

Finally Ella turned to look at her and said, her cheeks pink with annoyance, “He is upstairs, putting fresh sheets on my bed. And he’ll stay there if he knows what’s good for him.”

 

Her brow furrowed and Robb got off the floor and went to the stove, rubbing Ella’s shoulder, “There was an incident,” he noted.

 

“What the hell happened?,” she couldn’t help but ask.

 

“He had sex in my bed,” Ella explained.

 

“Arya!,” she couldn’t help but shout, because she found it hard to believe that it was Gendry’s idea.

 

Arya looked up at her coolly and said, “Bold of you to assume it was with me.”

 

She heard a surprise burst of laughter come from beside her, and saw Jon covering his mouth, but he couldn’t stop himself and only started laughing harder. This caused Arya to laugh and then it was a little impossible not to join in.

 

Theon came back in and asked, “What’s all this about, then?”

 

Ella turned, a small smile hovering on her lips because she was never mad for long and said, “They are revelling in the fact that Gendry had sex in my bed.”

 

“Are we not supposed to do that?,” Theon asked and all the laughter stopped, “I mean… I think almost everyone here has had sex in your bed…”

 

You could have heard a pin drop. Even little Sam stopped gurgling.

 

Everyone avoided Ella’s gaze but it didn’t matter, because she was only looking at Robb.

 

“Sweetheart, I have _never_ had sex in your bed!,” he promised vehemently and everyone turned to look at him. He coloured and amended, “Well… never without _you_ , anyway.”

 

Ella continued to glare at him, but soon she was pursing her lips and she let out her melodic giggle. Robb grinned down at her and took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her slowly.

 

“Ew, man, that’s my sister, get a room,” Sansa heard from behind her.

 

“Watch it, Waters,” Robb and Ella said in unison, before she threw her arms around his neck and he kissed her once again.

 

***

 

“Are you seriously not over this?,” he couldn’t help but ask.

 

“I’m over it,” Gendry pouted.

 

“You seem over it,” Arya agreed and then rolled her eyes at Jon, before adding “ _Look_ at her, does she seem upset by the turn of events to you?”

 

The three of them were sitting at the card table in the girls’ living room, working on a puzzle that Arya had started with them the night before, and turned to look towards the couch. Ella, the _she_ in question, was sitting on one of the couches, her feet tucked up under her, as she listened to something Robb was saying to her. He seemed to be telling her a story and was gesturing wildly with one hand, the other was resting on the couch behind her. She was nodding emphatically, a grin on her face. Their eyes were glued to one another, like no one else was in the room.

 

Gendry scoffed, “I guess she seems okay.”

 

“ _Stubborn fool_ ,” Arya muttered and then winked at him.

 

He liked Arya, just like Sansa had said that he would. He had realised that Sansa had never said anything about Arya liking him back, which he’d understood immediately upon meeting her. She was fierce, and reminded him strangely of a cat. She moved almost imperceptibly, and you could almost forget she was there until she wanted you to be aware of it. She was clearly incredibly protective of Sansa, always taking her older sister’s side in a debate, the pair of them seemingly had a language of their own that only Ella and occasionally Robb understood. He had caught her staring at him at dinner, when Sansa giggled and laid her head on his shoulder for a moment, and when he’d met her gaze she had given him a small smile before nearly stabbing Theon for trying to steal a parsnip off of her plate. Without turning her head, of course.

 

He had realised that they were all protective of Sansa. Sam and Gilly less than anyone else, but protective all the same. There was something in the way they all approached her, never from behind, always with open body language. If Sansa noticed she ignored it, and in truth he’d never seen someone look so content as she did surrounded by her friends and two of her siblings - apparently there were two younger brothers as well that he had yet to meet.

 

She was sitting in one of the armchairs now, with little Sam in her lap as she read him a story. He could hear her every so often doing a different voice, and it was always followed by Sam’s surprised giggle. The little boy seemed very comfortable in her arms, as though he had spent a lot of time there, and he played with a lock of her hair as she read to him. Lady, the nurse, sat next to the chair with her head up on the arm, watching them, and Ghost, who was enamoured with both Sansa and Lady alike, laid by her side. He heard her do a low, guttural voice and he couldn’t help but chuckle along when Sam squealed in laughter.

 

Her eyes met his and something passed over them before she smiled and his heart nearly stopped. He felt like she had been undressing him with her eyes and if it weren’t for the toddler in her lap he’d be doing the same to her. He hadn’t met a woman that affected him like she did in a long time, possibly ever. He wanted her so badly it was hard to think straight, and he’d had to actively stop himself from kissing her every few minutes as they walked through the park.

 

She blushed, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, and he wanted to follow the path of it with her lips, he wondered how far it went. She looked away though and he blinked and shook his head to rid himself of dirty thoughts. It didn’t work though.

 

“I’m going to grab some water, anyone need anything?,” he asked.

 

Gendry and Arya shook their heads as Arya picked up a random puzzle piece and placed it in the exact spot Gendry had been looking at the for the past five minutes.

 

He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, hoping to calm down. He took a few sips but it wasn’t working, and he placed his hands on the counter and breathed in and out.

 

He sensed someone coming up behind him and he tensed but then he smelled a hint of lavender.

 

“It’s just me,” she said quietly.

 

“I know,” he told her. “I can smell you.”

 

“That makes you sound like a wolf,” she teased.

 

He felt her wrap her arms around him from behind and placed her hand over his heart, which was thrumming erratically.

 

“I feel like one,” he admitted.

 

“Look at me,” she all but whispered.

 

He fought one last time to get himself under control, but it was impossible with her so close. Even still, he did as she asked.

 

She placed her hand on his cheek and he knew what she wanted so he let his eyes trail up to hers. To his surprise, there was a hunger there too. She let out a whimper and then her hand was in his and she was tugging him somewhere.

 

It smelled like flour and it was dark and he realised they’d ended up in the girls’ pantry.

 

“ _Sansa_ ,” he whispered.

 

In the next moment he felt her lips crash against his and he groaned into her mouth as he wrapped her in his arms and deepened the kiss. He knew he was being too rough, but if she minded she didn’t say and she tightened her own grip.

 

She broke the kiss and her lips trailed down his neck. His hand wandered down her back and cupped her perfect ass, squeezing it when he felt her nip his ear.

 

 _“Sansa,_ ” he whispered again.

 

“ _Jon_ ,” she whispered in his ear.

 

He turned them around so that it was her back against the wall and pulled her hair as gently as he could out of it’s elastic, gripping into her warm tresses and pulling her back up so that he could kiss her again.

 

He felt her hands underneath his shirt, and he flinched when her finger rubbed over a scar on his ribs.

 

“Did I hurt you?,” she asked in horror.

 

“N-n-no,” he said, willing blood to start pumping into his brain again. “I’m sorry.”

 

She backed away from him and for a moment he was afraid that he had frightened her. She took a deep breath though and took his hand and brought it under her sweater. Her skin was like silk, until he felt a scar in the exact same spot over her ribs. It was large, and angry, healed but permanent.

 

He could imagine what had caused it.

 

He stole his hand back as he clenched it into a fist, “Sansa please get out of here.”

 

She pulled her sweater down and flinched, “I…I just wanted to show you that I understand I… I shouldn’t have…I… I know girls aren’t supposed to have scars I…I…”

 

Her fear snapped him out of his anger like nothing ever had. It was strange, he had never felt a sensation like it, but it was like the anger was ripped out of his body, replaced with one instinct - _protect her_.

 

He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She was tense for a moment but he felt her relax and he stroked her hair. He meant it to calm her, but the repetition helped him too.

 

“Your heart,” she said, “It’s back to normal.”

 

“You have a talent for steadying it,” he confessed.

 

“Really?,” she asked and looked up at him.

 

There were unshed tears in her eyes and he nodded, kissing her forehead.

 

“I’m sorry I reacted that way, you were trying to let me in and I just… you’re right. Girls are not supposed to have scars like that, because men aren’t supposed to cause them.”

 

She shook her head, “They’re ugly and -“

 

“Sansa,” he interrupted, “There is no part of you that could ever be ugly. I just can _feel_ it, in my body, how you got it, and I want to know everything, when you’re ready to tell me, I want to know it all, but I can’t be objective, detached from this. This, _you_ , affect me and I just didn’t want to scare you.”

 

She didn’t say anything, she just leaned her cheek back against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He breathed her in, and felt the wholeness of her. She was alive and here in his arms, she had survived whatever horrors befell her, and had come out the other side strong, and beautiful, and most surprisingly, kind.

 

“You do scare me,” she told him and he tensed but she burrowed into him, “The things I’m feeling for you… I… I’m not _ready_ , to go farther, but I want this, _you_.”

 

He hugged her to him and kissed her hair, knowing that if he could just hold her, like this in his arms forever he’d be satisfied. More than.

 

She felt like something he never thought he’d have again - _home_.

 

“You scare me too, Sansa,” he said and she lifted her head off his chest and looked into his eyes. He took a deep breath and shook his head, “I haven’t had something to lose in a long time. I’ve just been going through the motions, day by day, trying to keep my head above water, and then I saw you and… well those eyes of yours could drown even the strongest man.”

 

She looked at him and her brow furrowed for a moment and then she smiled, a true, heartbreakingly beautiful smile. It was as though she’d remembered something long forgotten.

 

“ _You_ , are the strongest man, and the bravest, and best of all, you’re gentle too.”

 

“I don’t think I was being very gentle with you,” he countered.

 

“Even when your hands aren’t,” she nodded and a tear fell out of her eye, “Your soul is.”

 

He thought his soul had died long ago, but he saw now that it was just waiting - for her.

 

“Sansa Stark,” he shook his head, and placed a solemn kiss to her lips, “Saviour of the loss and the damned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'll still with me?
> 
> ps just because I'm a sucker for them, I'm interested to trace this version of Robb and Ella's love story a bit - any interest? it'd probably be a three part thing, maybe a bit more but not much, and most likely would give detail a bit of what happened to Sansa and her road to recovery?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, not sure if I'm going to continue but I was asked for a sequel so I gave a sequel. If I do continue we'll go further into Sansa's past and how that affects her and Jon now, and have lots of Jon/Ella/Stark fluff along the way. 
> 
> The friendships here are going to be super important though, so while Jon and Sansa are the main pairing, some chapters will focus very largely on the friendships rather than the romantic relationship.


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